Biden administration completes environmental assessment of Gulf of Mexico wind areas

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released its final Environmental Impact Assessment (EA) on the potential impacts of offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Mexico. This is in line with the Biden administration’s plan to achieve 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. BOEM has found that there will be no significant environmental impact on marine users and resources, which is a key milestone towards potentially the first offshore wind lease sale in the US Gulf. BOEM Director Liz Klein praised the completion of the review and emphasized the importance of advancing clean energy in a responsible manner.

BOEM had identified two wind energy areas (WEAs) off the coast of Texas and Louisiana, covering approximately 682,000 acres, forming part of the larger 30 million acre call area announced in November 2021. BOEM proposed the first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico in February. This includes a 102,480-acre property offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two properties offshore Galveston, Texas. The sale has the potential to provide nearly 1.3 million homes with renewable energy. The lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico forms part of the Biden administration’s goal of providing 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. BOEM plans to complete seven leases through 2025, including the sale in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tags: Biden Administration,Boem,Gulf of Mexico offshore wind energy


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